Everybody knows raising children can be expensive. My son lost two teeth this week and I joked the Tooth fairy is going to put us in bankruptcy. Especially when you consider seven mouths times 20 teeth. In our house it requires some creativity when it comes to money. Fortunately my wife is the deal finding, bargain shopping, won't pay full price, clearance Queen of the world.
Our family decided years ago to do our best to live debt free. I would rather drive a beat up passenger van with 140,000 miles as opposed to being slave to a loan company for a little more comfort. We struggle with money like most others, but we have adopted some principles to live by. It's about changing behavior and not so much about making more money.
The first principle is not to finance anything. If we don't have the cash, we probably don't need it. Secondly, is shopping rule number one, "we buy cheap". My children can quote this upon request. This does not necessarily mean the absolute cheapest. We shop for the best deal with quality in mind. My wife is naturally wired this way. For me it has been a work in process. I enjoy convenience, but it is expensive. It is why a 20 oz. soda cost twice as much as a generic 2-liter. Just another reason God knew what he was doing when he placed us together.
I think for us it all came down to priorities. We had to decide what we value most. There was a time when we picked kids up from daycare in the evening, went home for dinner/bath time, and next thing you know it was bedtime. Quality family time was lacking. Our relationships were suffering. This was clearly not God's will. We feel nothing that causes family fragmentation is God honoring. I am not being critical of others; this is about our family decisions. It is a work in process and a humbling one at that. It wasn't easy moving from the nice subdivision to our old handyman special. It wasn't easy, but God always honors commitment and has blessed us over and over again. Today, my wife works at home, educating our kids and soaking up every precious moment. We have been blessed with more children and our family unit continues to strengthen. We may "buy cheap", but we are rich in family.
I enjoyed reading your post, Jim! It was very inspiring. I admire you for prioritizing your family. I, too, believe that we don’t have to splurge on luxurious items to live a good life. What matters is having a decent living so that necessary needs are met.
ReplyDeleteJaden Allred